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Religion
There are two major religions in Brinn, known as the Church of Justice and the Order of the Nine. The Church of Justice The Church of Justice is a monotheistic religion that is very widespread and has the highest number of followers out of all of the religions in Brinn. They believe in a single god, The God of Law (also called God, The Keeper of Justice, The Praised One, The Maker, or He Who Knows). The main goal of the followers of this faith is to earn their way into the afterlife, which is believed to be exclusive to people who God deems worthy. It's believed that there is a special place in the afterlife for heroes, royalty, and members of the clergy. The clergymen of the Church of Justice are called Priests or Hands of God. They are exclusively male, are raised from birth to be part of the clergy, and must remain celibate for their entire lives. They act as judges in trial, leaders of ritual, and are the only people who can get in direct contact with God. They are easily distinguishable because they wear red and gold robes, and the underside of their hair is shaven. The symbol of The Church of Justice is a gold, open hand, usually on a red backdrop. This symbol arose because it's believed that God grew lonely after creating the world and sacrificed his own hand in order to create mortals. A single holiday exists in The Church of Justice. It is a week-long celebration that occurs in Goodmonth, and marks the time when it's believed mortals were created. Other rituals and celebrations include a boy's coming of age, which occurs at age 11 and takes place in a public ceremony. There are also marriages, which are a relatively private and sacred affair, and death rites, which are performed by friends and family of the dead in the presence of a priest. Things that are believed to be sinful are faithlessness, pride, envy, cowardice, greed, and self-injury, and things that are considered virtues are charity, tolerance, moderation, abstinence, responsibility, and honesty. Mental illness is considered a taboo subject. The Order of the Nine The Order of the Nine is the second most common belief system in Brinn. It is a polytheistic faith with a slight matriarchal lean. The ruling deities are the God of the Sun and Life, and the Goddess of the Moon and Death, who are also frequently referred to as The Father and The Mother. The secondary deities are the Goddess of War, Goddess of Love, God of the Wilderness, God of Knowledge, Goddess of the Sea and Storms, God of Trickery, and the Goddess of Magic. Followers of the Order of the Nine focus on the goal of self-improvement. It's believed that the afterlife is a brief stop in between reincarnations, where mortals can meet the Gods for a short time, and many people hope to impress the gods by the time they get there. The clergy of the Order of the Nine is small, only consisting of nine people; one clergy member for each deity. Clergy can be male or female, and they are called the Bodies of the Gods. These clergy members are personally selected by the gods during the common coming of age ceremony, and for the rest of their lives, they are to live in the Temple at Whiteflower in The Moor. They can not leave, and can not start families. Clergy members act as helpers to the poor, leaders in ritual, and intermediaries for the gods. They are constantly in direct contact with the gods. The myth of creation is a story of love and sacrifice. It's said that the God and Goddess were wandering alone through nothingness since before time existed, and that when they found each other, they lit up the dark nothingness, and fell in love. They gave birth to all of the other gods, and then finally, the world itself. However, the world came between the two of them, pushing them apart and separating them for the rest of time. The goddess, heartbroken, began to weep, and her tears sparkled across the sky, becoming the stars. When her tears fell to the earth, mortals were created. Celebrations are frequent in this faith. Full moons and solstices are celebrated with holidays, and these are the days that are also selected for other ceremonies such as the coming of age ritual, which happens to all children at age 15 and includes cleansing with special waters. Marriages are another common event on holidays, and they always include a period of separation between the bride and groom, as respect for the god and goddess and their own separation that brought people to the world. The symbol of the Order of the Nine is a silver crescent moon caressing a golden flaming sun, usually set on a backdrop of navy blue. Things that are believed to be sinful are neglect, envy, and hatred, and things that are considered virtuous are kindness, wisdom, and respect. Killing is seen as taboo, and in some highly religious areas, even the most dangerous criminals will not be killed. Outsiders are generally supposed to be respected, and conversion is very uncommon.